Written by

Ben Jones

Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative Team

Town of Mellen, Wis. / Gannett Wisconsin Media photo by Sharon Cekada

MADISON — While the state Legislature failed to pass mining legislation this year, the push to pass a mining bill in Madison continues for one simple reason.

“There are jobs attached,” said Joe Heim, a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse political scientist. “And the northern part of Wisconsin, as everybody knows, is not particularly well off.”

So state lawmakers say they plan to continue pushing for legislation, even after their efforts stalled in March and a mining company, Gogebic Taconite LLC, abandoned a major project in northern Wisconsin.

“Nothing is going to happen in the short term,” said Sen. Jerry Petrowski, R-Stettin, who was elected in a June 5 recall election. “In January, we are going to see the discussion start over again on mining.”

That discussion, and what a future mining bill looks like, likely will hinge on the Nov. 6 election.

This year, as lawmakers considered the bill, Republicans controlled the Senate, 17-16. But Republican Sen. Dale Schultz, of Richland Center, broke ranks and voted against the plan.

In June, Democrats picked up a seat in a Senate recall election and now control that house.

In November, however, the Senate could flip back into Republican hands. The GOP held the majority during last year’s redistricting process and drew new district boundaries favorable to their candidates.

Heim said future mining legislation could hinge on the election’s margins. He said if Republicans emerge with a one-vote majority again, Republican lawmakers could be forced to work out a compromise with Schultz.

Schultz did not return a call for comment Thursday.

Lawmakers in theory would not have to wait for January to pass a bill.

Although the main legislative session ended in March, lawmakers could return in a special session to consider a mining bill, but that seems unlikely.

Cullen Werwie, a spokesman for Gov. Scott Walker, said the governor isn’t actively pursuing a special session.

“The only way there would be a special session is if there was broad bipartisan support (meaning all 4 legislative caucuses) for a very narrowly defined set of bills aimed a job creation,” he said in an email.

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Werwie said job creation would be the key to a mining bill. “Simply passing a bill for the sake of saying we passed a mining bill isn’t acceptable,” he said.

State Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay, voted against the mining bill in March. But he said he thinks lawmakers can find agreement on the issue.

“We need the jobs and we should do what we can do to find common ground to create those jobs,” he said. “But it has to be done in a way that doesn’t put our water, our environment, or those businesses that depend on our natural resources, at risk. It has to be a common-sense approach and we have to find a voice of reason. We have to get away from the extremes.”

Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst, who sponsored mining legislation this session, said that with Democrats controlling the Senate, there’s no need for a special session on the issue.

“They made it very clear, back in March, that they didn’t want to pass iron ore mining legislation,” he said.

Tiffany said lawmakers would re-evaluate the issue after November.

“If I think there’s the potential to pass a good iron ore mining bill that combines certainty with good, strong environmental protections that I will certainly encourage leadership to advance that,” he said. “But that’s really a moot point until we get past the November elections.”

The mining industry continues to push the issue.

The Wisconsin Mining Association has hired a consultant to re-examine the state’s mining laws and compare them to other states, especially neighboring Michigan and Minnesota, WMA Executive Director Kennan Wood said.

Wood said he doubts any company will take a serious look at the Iron and Ashland county iron deposits again without changes to Wisconsin law.

“I’m not going to put words in their mouth, but when you consider (GTac) is the first company in the last 20 years of marketing that location to spend some money and take a hard look, it seems unlikely,” he said.

Wood is hoping a third-party study, even one funded by a pro-mining group, will encourage everyone to come back to the table. He also doesn’t expect anything to happen until after November’s elections.

Heim said that after the past year of contentious politics in Wisconsin, much of the public is tired and wants legislators to work together again.

“I’ve always been an optimist that legislators sooner or later come to their senses and realize they need to get something done,” Heim said. “We’ve always rewarded legislators who have accomplished things in Wisconsin.

“I would hope that tradition returns again.”

— Ben Jones: 608-255-9256 or bbjones@gannett.com; on Twitter @MadisonPolitics. Kathleen Foody of the Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative Team contributed to this report.